6D tips and tricks...

[steve_r.2]

I just picked up a 6D and so far I really like the feel of it and how it shoots. It is, however, very complex like all high-end cameras. I am

looking for any tips from other 6D owners that will help me get the most of it.

 

Thanks,

 

Steve

[peter_j2]

<p>Read the manual like I had to.</p>

[Mark Keefer]

<p>Nice congrats. I was just watching a video on the 6D using WiFi connected to a Smart Phone doing remote shooting. Very cool.</p>

<p>Make sure your read the entire manual thoroughly. Get familiar with all controls and everything the camera can do, new features etc... Nothing like having a camera 10 months not having really read the manual thoroughly and having an epiphany, "Wow I didn't know it could do that!" lol. Check out all the YouTube videos and tutorials on the 6D. The 6D looks to have a lot of cool features.</p>

<p>Happy shooting.</p>

 

[steve_r.2]

Thanks Mark.

 

And thanks Peter, that was really helpful.

[keith reeder]

<p>What a jolly little ray of sunshine you are, Peter.<br /><br />I'm a big fan of Canon cameras, but even I wouldn't try to argue that the manuals aren't masterpieces of ambiguity and obfuscation, which is <em>exactly</em> why there's such a ready market for third party user guides.</p>

[robin_sibson1]

<p>You don't say what camera you are coming from, if any. So here is a generic tip for the 6D and many other Canon bodies, which is a popular non-default setting with many users: switch AF away from the shutter button and use either the AF-ON button or assign AF to the * button and use that.</p>

[pbizarro]

<p>Indeed, my first recommendation is also to read the manual. How can we provide "tips" if you do not say what you want to photograph? There are tips for landscapes, for action, for sports, for fine art photography, for commercial, for portraits, for etc. Then, the tips are different depending on your own personal style to take photographs, and that, we do not know what it is...<br>

So, yes, for a general question, the best answer is the general one to read the manual. It has all the information you need to set you on the correct path.</p>

[peter_j2]

<blockquote>

<p>And thanks Peter, that was really helpful. [steve R]</p>

</blockquote>

<p>You are welcome. My time on here is not paid.</p>

[neill_farmer2]

<p>You don't have to know all the ins and outs of the camera to use it. DSLRs are used for many diverse applications, sports, wildlife, portraits, landscape etc. All will have thier appropriate settings but if you are just using it for family photos start by using the green square and then get a bit adventuresome by trying the Tv, Av settings. If you get motion blur or camera shake then try again, using a different setting (shutter speed) and so on. As you expand your knowledge and experience you'll be an expert before you know it! I would advise reading the maual a few times though. Helps you to solve problems with your images when they arise.</p>

[keith reeder]

<p>Manuals are fine for telling us <em>what a camera can do</em>, but pretty they're useless at telling us how to actually <em>use them</em> - as I say, that's why there's so much of a market for third party user guides, and it's also why Canon <em>et al</em> go to great trouble to provide additional learning resources online and even downloadable to CF card so that you can watch them from the camera.<br /><br /></p>

<blockquote>

<p>You are welcome. My time on here is not paid.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Well, neither is anyone else's, and there's a bit at the top of the "Confirm Message" page which says:</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>Please take a moment to ask yourself if what you're about to post is going to be useful to the person who asked the question. Then ask yourself if, when someone stumbles upon this exchange four years from now via a Google search, they are going to say 'that was worth my time to read'.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p><em>Just saying...</em></p>

<p> </p>

[peter_j2]

<blockquote>

<p><em>Just saying... </em>[Keith Reeder]</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I did follow the guidelines. I own the 6D. There are no special tips to ensure an easier experience or fast track learning experience with this camera. The manual as other's above have stated is the only way to know this camera (and the 5D and the 5D2 and the 5D3 and....) <br /><em>Just saying....</em></p>

[Brad_]

>>> I am looking for any tips from other 6D owners that will help me get the most of it.

 

Take a look at the Auto ISO feature. It has been improved over the 5DII in that you can now specify a minimum shutter speed

from a list of Menu choices.

 

Just as an example, if you like to shoot in Aperture Priority mode and want to let the camera pick a shutter speed and ISO

value for a proper exposure, but don't want to end up with a low shutter speed that might cause subject or hand-holding motion blur,

you could (for example) specify a minimum shutter speed of 1/125 or 1/250 of a second, and the camera will choose a higher

ISO value for a proper exposure.

 

Since the 6D has good high ISO performance, that could end up being a better choice, as opposed to letting the camera

choose a much lower shutter speed, say 1/30 sec, and risking motion blur.

 

 

There, that wasn't too hard. Maybe Peter can share a tip he's learned from using his 6D.

[peter_j2]

<blockquote>

<p>Maybe Peter can share a tip he's learned from using his 6D. [brad]</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Yes. Don't underexpose. Colour noise may be apparent in the shadows. When shooting in Manual Mode, turn off Auto ISO. </p>

<p>You are welcome... <em><strong>:)</strong></em></p>

[sarah_fox]

<p>I really have to agree with Peter. There's no substitute for taking an afternoon to read the manual from cover to cover and try out all of the settings/features it discusses. It's really the same with any camera (or any other piece of complicated equipment). In the end, the 6D is pretty much like any other camera, varying somewhat in performance and having a user interface that may be just a bit different from other cameras (as described in the manual). It's like getting a new car. You'll probably be able to drive it home with little difficulty, but you might have to read the owner's manual to know how to set the clock or turn on the dome light, and there may be some useful features that you otherwise wouldn't know about.</p>

[PuppyDigs]

<p>Most modern users are not manual lovers and Canon knows this, so the manual doesn't get a lot of thoughtful editing. Canon's tutorial videos (CanonUSA) are a great way to learn camera features. If you're simply upgrading from another EOS it's a big yawn as most features are very similar. But the videos are helpful for noobs and those traveling from the dark side. Last year I bought an Olympus M4/3 and I was puzzled for months as the interface and behavior was so different from Canon, so a tutorial can be very helpful out the gate with a new system.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Another vote for Peter's suggestion actually being by far the most useful advice given here. He could have sugar-coated it, to be sure. "Tough love"<br /> Otherwise, although it's new to have built up much of a library yet, a YouTube search for Canon 6D will shortly show lots of tutorials. For example, the fantastic Kai W already has some videos up (<a href="

).</p>

<p>By the way, it's not like all the content of the manual is "new" for the 6D - I have the Canon manuals for cameras going back to the EOS 650 and the changes are incremental and evolutionary, so "sloppy" editing is not to blame for any shortcomings.</p>

<p> </p>

[arthur_reyes1]

<p>Steve,<br>

Have fun with the camera. Here's one tip that I find useful that I've done for my 5DII and G12. I downloaded the pdf user manual from the Canon website. Then I saved it in iBooks on my iPhone. Doesn't take up much space and you always have it for reference (but only if you have your phone with you).<br>

-Art</p>

[Brad_]

As if people don't know there's a manual in the box and it's there to be read. Just more photonet lecturing

and swipes from those sitting high that keeps potential new photonet members away. And going to (or staying at) other

forums instead.

[keith reeder]

<p>I'm as big an advocate of RTFM as it's possible to get - <em>right now</em> my 7D manual is right next to me and this PC, and I've had my 7D for three years - but the OP very clearly and unambiguously asked for <em>tips and tricks</em>, not to be talked down to, and I don't believe for a second that there aren't one or two 6D owners out there that don't have something to contribute in that regard.</p>

<p><strong>Unlike some, I've made the assumption that the OP doesn't need to be told to read the manual... </strong></p>

[Brad_]

>>> unambiguously asked for tips and tricks,

 

Precisely.

 

Here's another tip...

 

The GPS receiver, if enabled, draws noticeable power from the battery even when the camera is turned off. Good idea to get a feeling for the amount of drain before going out with a single battery (that you think is fully charged from a couple days prior) with heavy shooting expectations in mind. Or just turn the GPS off when the camera is not in use. BTW, 5DII batteries, if you happen to have one, are the same..

[sarah_fox]

<blockquote>

<p>As if people don't know there's a manual in the box and it's there to be read.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>In my experience, most people don't actually read the manual. In fact a lot of people (not necessarily the OP) come onto the forum and ask questions like, "Hi, I just bought a ____. I want to take pictures at an airshow. What settings should I use?" The phrasing of the question usually suggests the person hasn't actually read the manual, or at least doesn't understand it. Again, I'm not accusing the OP of not having read the manual. I'm just saying it's not safe to assume so. Most people who read the manual tend to ask more specific questions.</p>

<p>FAIW, there are crummy manuals that are hardly worth the effort, superb manuals packed with information, and everything in between. Canon takes a lot of criticism for their manuals, but I find them reasonably complete, accurate, and reader-friendly enough -- maybe a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10. So I don't think Peter's suggestion was a bad one. I bet tips such as GPS power draw are in the manual, just waiting for an enterprising camera owner to read them. [in fact, check out page G-7 and G-13 of the Wi-Fi and GPS instruction manual. Wha'd'ya'know?]</p>

[dcstep]

<p>I would suggest not reading the manual front to back, but scan it. The only way to learn it is to use the camera. Set goals for yourself, such as leaning to change the AF pattern on the fly without taking you eye away from the viewfinder. The way to learn that is to read about that and then go out and do it in the field. Next, you might decide to learn how to apply + or - EV without taking your eye away from the viewfinder. You read about that, while holding the camera in your hands and then you go out into the field and try to apply it.</p>

<p>It's not unlike trying to learn college calculus by reading the whole textbook. Some might be able to that, but most of us start at chapter one, read the text, go to a class where the prof fills in some blanks and then we solve some problems using the principals taught in the first chapter.</p>

<p>This "read the manual" advice that we see over and over makes me laugh. Yes, you eventually might read the whole thing, or at least the parts relevant to the types of shooting that you do, but IME little is gained by reading the whole manual front to back.</p>

[zack_zoll]

<blockquote>

<p ><a href="/photodb/user?user_id=3945206">Peter J</a> <a href="/member-status-icons"><img title="Frequent poster" src="/v3graphics/member-status-icons/2rolls.gif" alt="" /></a>, Jan 23, 2013; 10:45 p.m.</p>

</blockquote>

 

<blockquote>

<p>Read the manual like I had to.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>That's funny. I've been an SLR user for a little over 20 years now, and would you believe that I've never read the manuals on any of the cameras I've bought in the last five years? I HAVE consulted the manual when something totally flummoxes me. For instance, when I first started shooting with wireless IR flashes, I didn't understand why my optical slave flashes didn't sync too, so I poured over the manual.</p>

<p>It didn't help. Long story short they're two totally different triggering systems. But since the company wanted to push the new, cool system, they just talked about that one in the manual.</p>

<p>Reading a camera manual is like getting directions from someone who has lived in the same place for 50 years - they forget what information is actually useful to strangers. If I knew where "Bob's old bar" was to take a left there, I would already be familiar with the town, and I wouldn't be asking for directions!</p>

<p>Read the quick start guide. Find where the 'reset all settings' button is. Get yourself a beer, or a pot of coffee, or whatever your beverage of choice is. Then just start pressing buttons and see what happens. If you screw up the camera, reset all settings :P Repeat until satisfied.</p>

<p>There is one trick that I've learned with any customizable camera that is really useful. Figure out what assignable button is easiest for you to press while keeping the camera held up to your eye. If you can, set that button to 'spot metering.' Now any time you try and take a photo of a really contrasty scene, all you need to do is hold that button while you press the shutter, and it will generally solve your metering issues. I've done this with every camera I own that lets me, and it's the single most useful tweak I've made.</p>

<p>If you shoot RAW, also make sure you edit your Picture Style so that it's less saturated and less contrasty than normal. Since you're shooting RAW, whatever you do with the Picture Style doesn't actually change your photos any. But the camera uses a JPEG for your LCD preview, so dropping the saturation and contrast a little will give you a better idea of what your RAW files will look like.</p>

 

[steve_r.2]

Thanks everyone, I think...

 

Seriously, for those who actually gave tips, thank you. For the record, I have read the manual. I was looking for lessons learned. To

answer a couple of questions that were asked earlier. I was using a D300S, although lately I have been shooing with a Fuji X100. I m

mainly into shooting architecture, and street scenes. I've never owned a Canon DSLR, so I'm still getting used to it as I'm obviously more

comfortable with Nikon. So far, I really like how it shoots. If anyone else can share things they have learned that aren't specifically called

out in the manual, please let me know.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

[PuppyDigs]

<p>http://learn.usa.canon.com/galleries/galleries/tutorials/eos_6d_tutorials.shtml</p>